Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro

Took me months to get it to work with XP. Now I have VISTA and it will not work. Cakewalk has no plans to make it work on VISTA.

takes for ever to get through and then they are little help.

don't buy this

I have been recording music for about 12 years now. I play guitar and bass, and I sing. The version of the software that I am using is Cakewalk's Guitar Tracks Pro.

I don't use any other applications with the software except for a few different drum loop CDs. Instead of using plug-ins to shape my tones, I use a Line6 Pod, which makes life considerably easier.

I am recording on my Dell 8400 PC. My soundcard is a Soundblaster 5.1, and I listen on the stock monitors that came with my Dell. Nothing too fancy, as I am recording primarily for fun and not at the pro level.

The interface for Guitar Tracks Pro is highly intuitive, especially if you are already familiar with Windows. Installation was simple. The software is MIDI compatible, but since I don't use MIDI I can't really comment on that. I would imagine that it is just as simple as standard digital recording though.

Thwe software basically turns your machine into an easy-to-use 32-track recorder and mixing board. There are simple-to-use drum loops that you can set up and easily record guitar, bass, vocal tracks over.

The Manual that came with the software was helpful, but it doesn't really offer much beyond basic setup and recording procedures. It's simple to set up and get started, but beyond that the manual doesn't offer much. I guess because this software is geared for the beginner, they don't bother to get too advanced. However, there are some really good books out there that offer a lot of help with regard to recording with Cakewalk software.

For what it is supposed to do, the sound quality is pretty good. This is not a pro level software application, but with some work you can make some pretty decent recordings. You can go to my site and hear some examples for yourself:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/batshit.htm

GT Pro has 32 tracks available, so there is a lot of room to make music on there.

Guitar Tracks Pro is a simple and easy-to-use software package that turns your PC into a 32-track recorder. It's well worth the $99 I paid for it. I was a little bummed that the MP3 converter expires after a few weeks so that I had to shell out another $20 to update the software on my machine, but there are other MP3 converters out there.

I like that the software is easy to use. I can easily and quickly set up and start recording whenever I get an idea that I want to put down. The convenience of being able to make decent recordings right there on the spot without having to book expensive studio time is invaluable to me. It's also allowed me to be more creative, as I have the flexibility to experiment with things that I would probably never try in a studio where I am paying $50 an hour.

The software has minor crashes once in a while, but it's the type of thing where you don't lose anything - it just locks up on you for a few seconds. No big deal.

I wish that the sound of my recordings was ultimately a bit better, but that's probably because I've outgrown the software a bit and am now ready for something a bit more advanced.

If you are a guitarist and you want to make decent recordings or demos, this is the software you want. It's great for workign out your ideas or for arranging. Even if you ultimately plan to record at a real studio, this is a great way to work out your ideas ahead of time.

I'm actually putting out a solo CD using nothing but Guitar Tracks Pro pretty soon. It's definitely got a sort of lo-fi vibe to it, but that's pretty much what I'm after.

This is a very simple, windows based, program that takes little time to figure out. The manuel is a must, but you can start recording with it right out of the box. I actually started playing around with it before I touched the book, but it does give detailed explanations of how to do certain things that are very cool.

The effects are nice. The revalver amp sim is more of a hassle to work with than it's worth, so use effects before plugging into the computer. It's helpful to have a decent set of computer speakers (or monitors) for the sound to have any clarity to it. I wouldn't run this with just my computer's internal speakers - yikes.

I have to say that I really enjoy this program. It has a few glitches in it - popup will say that the program needs to close, but just move the box off the screen and it will continue working fine. Recording to file/cd works well although the mp3 encoder is only offered for a limited time - to get mo' money from you.

Support is quick to return e-mails, so I give them a 10, but the problem that i had with the program wasn't something they could fix. I came up w/ a solution, but they are limited in their answers. They are, however, very helpful.

Overall, this is a wonderful toy. It lets you manipulate your tracks with complete freedom while still maintaining the semblence of a tape machine. I wouldn't use it for recording a band, but for my own songs and jingles it works perfect.

Easy to install
manual is good to get you started right away.
Real easy to record guitar harmony's.

The sound quality is great.
I have a jmp1 hooked in my soundcard.
the revalver amp sim. is good but you can't record with it.
there has to a recorded signal (like an clean sound) to aktivate the sim.
the fuityloops express is also great but you have spend some time
to create a good sounding drumkit.

So far so good.

Have E-mailt them a couple of times and thy responded
within 2 a 3 dayes.
there explanation is very detaild.

I play all kinds of metal (I play for 10 years now)
this thing is great for creating music i just have to put it on mp3
and send it throu e-mail to the other bandmembers.(the mp3 encorder is a 30 day trail that kinda sucks.
But for the rest it is a realy great toy.